How They Built the World’s Most Famous Landmarks

Its famous sails looked more like a complicated puzzle in 1963. Construction on the Sydney Opera House had started in 1959, but the revolutionary design created huge engineering problems. The iconic shell-like roofs were incredibly difficult to build, causing delays and budget overruns that became legendary in Australia. This image, showing the concrete podium complete but the roof still a work in progress, captures the project at a critical stage. The building would not officially open for another ten years, finally becoming the landmark we know and recognize today in 1973.